Purity
by Lascylla
Summary: Mikos are being abducted from all over Japan, taken by the Tokage-youkai tribe for a mysterious purpose.  When Rin begins to show signs of being spiritually powerful, Sesshoumaru sets out to destroy the Tokage-youkai tribe- with some help. SessKag.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. You wouldn't get much out of me anyway XD**

Tokage-youkai = Lizard Youkai

The first two sentences of this fic were prompts from a challenge about two years ago (I think). So they're not my words. Unfortunately I don't remember where the challenge was posted or who wrote the two sentence prompt. If anyone knows, could you tell me? :)

**Purity: Chapter One  
**

Sesshoumaru strode quickly down the path, his silver hair flaring out behind him. Smoke billowed in the distance causing a small knot of fear to ride hard in his gut.

If it was coming from where he thought, he could only hope he made it in time.

Springing deftly forward, white fur billowing behind, the Taiyoukai of the West made his way swiftly towards the village. Within moments he landed atop a small hut on the outskirts of the town, golden eyes narrowed as he searched the area for his ward.

A week ago he had left Rin here in order to return to his palace in the west to deal with some of the more urgent matters that had lately arisen. He had believed she would be safer here with the humans, than at the palace, where she would be surrounded by disapproving youkai, many of whom would not hesitate to kill her given the slightest opportunity. Evidently he had been incorrect.

Icy panic gripped his heart when he could not see her. He was unaccustomed to this… need to assure another's safety, even after having had Rin with him for two years. She had never truly been in great danger, nor had she even played much of a role in his life, despite being with him constantly. Suddenly he realized with aching clarity that his life without Rin would be… empty? Perhaps not quite the word he was looking for, but something would definitely be missing were she to die.

A scream in the distance drew the Taiyoukai's attention.

* * *

Inuyasha huffed moodily as he leaned against the hut wall, his narrowed eyes tracking Kagome's every move, one bare foot tapping the ground impatiently. Kagome had insisted on stopping at the first village they passed today to pick up some supplies, much to Inuyasha's very loud and endlessly vocalized disgust.

"Kagome, come on! How long can it take to grab a couple of water skins?" Inuyasha whined, glaring fruitlessly at her.

Kagome shrugged serenely and continued browsing through the market stalls, humming contentedly as she picked up a tiny carved dog. _Heh, that's what Inuyasha would look like if he could transform. _She thought, gently tracing the artful carving.

She reluctantly put the tiny dog back down, mindful of their very limited financial resources. With all their time taken up running around after Naraku and his puppets, not to mention hunting for jewel shards, Miroku hadn't had a chance to 'cleanse' any nobles' homes of demon spirits for several weeks, thus the depressing state of their monetary situation.

Kagome was distracted from her musings by a gentle tug on the hem of her shirt.

"Hi Kagome!"

The little girl grinned a no longer gap-toothed grin up at Kagome, holding a bunch of small pink and white wild-flowers in one hand.

Kagome knelt with a surprised smile, "Hey Rin, what are you doing here?"

The little girl bobbed up and down on her feet, ponytail swinging haphazardly. "I'm visiting Miss Yukiji! These flowers are for her."

"Oh, okay," Kagome nodded, wondering who Miss Yukiji was.

"She's my caretaker," Rin continued.

"Oi! What's with the freakin' reunion?" Inuyasha growled as he came marching towards them.

Kagome turned and gave the hanyou a sharp look, "Inuyasha, don't be rude."

Sensing an impending 'sit' Inuyasha backed off a little and flattened his ears in irritation. "Don't know why you're bothering to talk to Sesshoumaru's little worshipper," He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his haori in typical defensive Inuyasha style.

Kagome glowered at him for another minute before turning back to Rin. "So, where is Sesshoumaru, Rin? Shouldn't you be with him," She asked, concern colouring her voice.

"Lord Sesshoumaru said for me to stay here while he went away. He didn't leave me alone, though," the little girl had picked up on Kagome's worry and was quick to defend her lord. "I'm staying with Miss Yukiji - and Jaken, of course."

As though the mention of his name summoned him from thin air, Jaken came toddling out from behind one of the market stalls, twitching with rage. "Sesshoumaru-sama told you not to run off!" Jaken screeched in his irritating little voice.

"Oh, Rin didn't mean to run off, Jaken. Rin just wanted to pick some flowers and there are no pretty ones in the village," Rin beamed beguilingly at the toad youkai, subtly reminding him of Lord Sesshoumaru's threats should he hear of any mistreatment of his ward while he was gone.

Jaken caught the warning in her speech; the way she referred to herself the same way Sesshoumaru sometimes did. He had to admit the child was intelligent. Sometimes.

"Cursed little brat…" Jaken muttered, stomping one small, webbed foot on the dusty ground.

"Here, Kagome, you can have these flowers," Rin grinned evilly at Jaken, "Jaken and I can always pick some more for Miss Yukiji, can't we Jaken?"

"Oh no, we will no-" Jaken's little rant was cut short by the sound of several screams echoing from the village center.

Inuyasha snapped to attention, his hand coming rest on tetsusaiga's hilt as he prepared for a fight.

"Kagome, stay here," He growled, drawing his sword from its sheath and leaping forward in one fluid motion.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome yelled, frustration coursing through her. She wanted to go with him and find out what was going on, but she couldn't leave Rin alone, could she? One look at the little girl's frightened face made up Kagome's mind and she quickly pulled Rin behind the nearest stall. The jangling of Miroku's shakujou and Sango's shouted 'Kirara' alerted Kagome to the fact that they were headed for the village center.

Kagome became aware of people running, directionless, through the streets, shrieking with fear and practically climbing over one another to get out of the way of whatever was attacking them. Kagome pulled her bow free of the strap that held it fast to her back and knocked an arrow, ready to shoot should anything come their way. Rin shifted as close to Kagome as she could get, watching the people run by with worried eyes.

"Don't worry, Rin, I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?" Kagome smiled reassuringly at the girl and was rewarded with a hesitant nod. _I'm surprised she's not more used to this sort of thing, travelling with Sesshoumaru and all._

Jaken had been 'guarding' their hiding spot, but when a large lizard-youkai came scuttling along the street - following the crowd of appetizing humans - the little toad squeaked and dove behind Kagome. She huffed and leapt to her feet, drawing back her arrow and sending it flying straight into the back of the scaly green monster. A shimmer of pink passed over the creature's body for a second before it screamed and collapsed to the ground, satisfyingly dead. Kagome crouched again, knocking another arrow and peering over the top of the wooden stall every now and then, watching for another youkai to come blundering past.

A heavy, thunderous rumble shuddered through the ground, sending Kagome and Rin sprawling. The miko jumped to her feet and spun around, trying to find the source of the enormous noise.

"Kagome, up there!" Rin pointed to the sky and Kagome looked up, a gasp forcing its way into her lungs as she took in the huge lizard that towered over them. "I think you killed its baby," Rin breathed, pulling at Kagome's sleeve, trying to get her out of the way of the gigantic monster.

Kagome swallowed heavily and turned, dragging Rin and Jaken with her as she raced along the side of the building they had been hiding against. Her bow was lying in the dirt behind the market stall, but there was no way she was going back for it now. Somehow Kagome suspected that her arrows wouldn't make much of an impact on this monster.

Their movement attracted the huge youkai's attention and it drew itself up, coiling for an attack. Kagome glanced back and saw its stubby forelegs moving in a random - yet deliberate - pattern, a yellow glow beginning to form between them.

"In here!" Kagome gasped, diving into a thin, dirty alley between huts. She quickly put Rin behind her and turned to face the direction of the monster. Kagome hoped against hope that the lizard-thing's attack wouldn't be able to reach them through the building they were hiding behind.

* * *

Sesshoumaru darted soundlessly from rooftop to rooftop, hunting out the scream that had sounded so much like Rin. It was chaos in the streets below, people running and shouting, stumbling and being trampled by their panicked kin while lizard-youkai chased them gleefully, hungrily- picking off the slowest, but mostly just following them. It occurred to the taiyoukai that the lizards seemed to be _herding_ the humans in a specific direction. But why?

This unuttered question was answered almost instantly as an enormous lizard rose above the streets, its forelimbs weaving a complex pattern in the air. So that was most likely the _where, _though the _why_ was still something of a mystery.

Sesshoumaru landed lightly on a nearby rooftop and unsheathed Tokijin. The sword seemed to hiss as it came to life in his hand. The taiyoukai's lips quirked slightly. It seemed his sword was as eager for blood as he was.

The Lord of the West launched himself gracefully into the air, passing by the enormous lizard and leaving a trail of blood along the massive creature's right foreleg as Tokijin sliced neatly through tough, scaly hide and wiry tendon.

The lizard youkai roared and threw its reptilian head back as it landed heavily on the ground. It glanced at the gash in its arm through black-slitted red eyes. The wound knitted instantly, closing without a scar and the monster giggled. It could only be termed giggling, although the sound was utterly terrifying in its joy.

Sesshoumaru ignored the thing, noting out of the corner of his eye that it had healed, but far more concerned with finding his ward and assuring himself of her safety. He came upon her quickly, surprised to find her in the company of one of Inuyasha's humans. The girl had put Rin behind her and was staring fiercely in the direction of the large lizard-youkai. Sesshoumaru nodded to himself, deciding that Rin would be safe with Jaken and the girl until he had disposed of this threat.

The taiyoukai turned and watched with annoyance as the lizard began to weave its arms back and forth again, its claws dipping and clicking together. The thing appeared to be achieving nothing by this strange behavior and Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. The monster was not unintelligent, though it appeared to have lost much of its ability to reason in this state. The lord leapt to the roof on the other side of the street, preparing to draw the monster's attention away from where Rin and his little toad retainer hid.

Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist and sent his youki whip snapping towards the monster, scoring it across the same foreleg as before. The thing flinched and snatched its arm away, hissing in anger.

"Oi! What are you doing here, you bastard?" Inuyasha landed energetically on the roof of a hut near the taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru slid an annoyed glance towards the hanyou who had just bounded up the building to his right. Inuyasha had already turned away and was now readying his sword to attack the lizard youkai. Apparently their flimsy truce was still intact.

* * *

Kagome slowly unfolded herself from the defensive hunch she had assumed in preparation for the blast of youki that the lizard-thing had been aiming this way. Apparently the thing had thought better of trying to blast through two layers of mud-wall. _Strange, though,_ she mused, _it definitely looked powerful enough not to worry about such a small barrier. _

Creeping forward, the miko signaled for Rin to stay put as she peered around the corner of the hut. Her eyes widened in shock as she spotted Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha tag-teaming the reptilian monstrosity- the hanyou sending powerful waves of the kaze no kizu at the creature's massive chest while the taiyoukai hovered above its head on a cloud of youki, lashing at its eyes with his poisonous whip. _No way that thing can withstand Inuyasha _and_ Sesshoumaru! _Heartened by the sight of the two brothers working together, Kagome turned to Jaken, indicating for him to stay and protect Rin for a moment.

"But, where are you going? Human! Come back here!" Jaken screeched, fear overriding his need to be superior.

Kagome smiled knowingly, "I'll be back in a minute, just watch over Rin, okay?"

Not staying to see his reaction, Kagome darted along the wall, back towards the now overturned market stall where her bow had been left. She grabbed the discarded weapon and raced back, hunched over to minimize the target she presented and arrived back in the alley to find Jaken cowering behind Rin, clutching his staff in a white knuckled grip. Or, actually pale-green knuckled grip.

"Jeeze, you tiny coward, what are doing hiding behind a little girl?" Kagome asked, one eyebrow raised in amused disapproval.

The toad sputtered and squeaked, coming out from behind Rin with a threatening glare on his face. Fortunately he didn't seem to have an answer and settled for balefully staring out into the street.

Kagome turned to gaze out as well, though there wasn't much of a view from where they were hidden.

_I wonder how Inuyasha is doing out there?_

_

* * *

_

"Come on, this way!" Miroku urged the villagers forward, pointing them down a narrow backstreet away from the action. Sango was holding off two smaller lizard youkai, swinging hiraikotsu around like a huge club so that the people could escape. "No- stop pushing each other!" Miroku half-pleaded, half-yelled. Everyone was so panicked that they were shoving and pulling and trampling each other in their desperate charge to safety. The monk was pushed, hard, into the wall of a hut as the tide of people flowed by and he found himself smacking at the horde with his staff, trying to get them off of him. He glanced desperately towards Sango, just catching a glimpse of her beating off a third youkai through the crowd. These monsters were strong- she couldn't hold off three at once could she?

"Sango! Are you holding up okay?" Mirkoku shouted as he shoved his way against the current of people.

"I'm fine, Miroku!" Sango yelled back, although the monk heard the rising panic in her voice. He redoubled his efforts to break through, resorting to shoving people aside with the pointy-end of his shakujou. As he cleared the edge of the stream of bodies he saw yet another lizard body-slam Sango, sending her sprawling into the dirt beneath its' heavy weight.

"Sango!" Miroku roared, charging toward the fallen taijiya, shoving the monster off her with his staff. He leapt over her and swung his shakujou in a wide arc, scattering the four lizard youkai for a moment before they regrouped, ringing about the two humans in a semi-circle. "Sango, are you hurt?" Miroku asked, his heart in his throat.

The taijiya stirred and slowly pushed herself to her feet. "I'm okay, I think," Sango hefted hiraikotsu and turned to face the demons again, holding herself a little gingerly. "I'm glad you came when you did, Miroku," The demon-slayer muttered ruefully as she readied herself to continue the fight.

Miroku managed a small grin.

* * *

"Ahh, goddamnit- why isn't this thing dying?" Inuyasha yelled, raising tetsusaiga for yet another kaze no kizu. The lizard youkai swung around, its' forelegs sweeping clumsily across the hanyou's rooftop, sending him crashing to the ground for the fourth time already.

Sesshoumaru's normally serene face was furrowed with concentration and frustration. _Why, indeed? _ He thought, dodging a flailing lizard-claw with ease. The creature might not have been the most adept fighter in the world, but it was proving to be very difficult to kill. It seemed to be trying to wear down the two brothers simply by letting them hack and slash and tire themselves against its invulnerable hide. _Not invulnerable, exactly. It can be injured, but it heals instantly. _The taiyoukai could feel his demonic nature asserting itself, the enormous canine within unwilling to be bested by an overgrown lizard.

"Why. Wont You. Diiie!" Inuyasha roared, his eyes narrowing as he sought the path of the monster's youki. _Nothing. This thing ain't generating hardly any power!_

_This is taking too long, _Kagome fretted, _With both of them there, that monster should have been toast a while ago. _The miko edged forward, knocking an arrow just to be safe as she peered around the corner of the hut again. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were throwing all sorts of attacks against the huge tokage-youkai, but they were having next to no impact on the thing. Inuyasha was swept to the ground by enormous claws and Kagome shook her head. _This isn't normal! Why are their attacks not having any effect?_

"Rin, I'm going out there- I think Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha need some help. You stay here with Jaken, okay? He'll protect you," Kagome gave Jaken a pointed glare and the toad youkai pointed his beak in the air in a gesture of distain. Kagome rolled her eyes, knowing he would be too afraid of Sesshoumaru to let anything happen to Rin, anyway.

Rin nodded solemnly to Kagome, a faint shimmer of tears in her eyes. The miko gave her a quick hug and darted out of the alley, arrow ready.

Kagome took a minute to just watch the fight, trying to work out why the brothers' attacks were failing to do any damage. It quickly dawned on her that they _were_ hurting the monster; it was just healing so quickly that the injuries scarcely appeared for more than a second. _Maybe my purifying arrows will stop it from healing so quickly._

Kagome drew back her arrow and frowned with concentration. The tip began to glow pink and gradually the aura spread along the shaft until it reached her fingers; as soon as the power touched her hand, Kagome let go and held her breath as the arrow soared through the air- and buried itself in the neck muscle of the tokage-youkai.

The demon flailed about, roaring with fury as the purity of the arrow burned away at its' flesh.

"Hey, Kagome! Do you sense any jewel-shards?" Inuyasha yelled, dodging the aimlessly swinging limbs of the lizard.

Kagome shook her head, "No, there's none there!"

"Argh! Then why won't it die, already?" Inuyasha shouted, frustration thrumming through his voice.

Kagome shook her head in response and focused her attention back on the demon, watching as the power slowly died out of her arrow. _Damn, that didn't kill it. I don't think it's healing, though._

_-Miko! Come here… Let me taste your powers-_

Kagome jerked, her eyes snapping to those of the giant lizard. It had given up on trying to remove the arrow and was staring at her intently. She slowly shook her head. "No way."

"Kagome, what the hell?" Inuyasha jumped down and landed by her side, confusion etched on his face.

"It talked to me," Kagome whispered out of the corner of her mouth, not breaking eye contact with the youkai.

Inuyasha stared at her with growing concern. "What do you mean it talked to you? It didn't say anything. I don't think it _can_ talk, anyway!"

Kagome shook her head, "Not out loud- in my head."

"The creature seems to have telepathic powers," Sesshoumaru said as he landed lightly a few feet away from the miko and hanyou.

"But it hasn't before now!" Inuyasha protested, turning his frustrated gaze on his brother.

_-Miko, I will only ask this once… Come to me and I will not harm your hanyou friend, nor the inuyoukai.-_

Kagome stiffened, eyes wide. Though the youkai hadn't managed to particularly harm Inuyasha yet, it seemed the creature had more powers in reserve that it had not yet revealed.

"It wants me to go to it, or else it'll hurt you," Kagome whispered to Inuyasha, her gaze still fixed on the giant lizard.

Predictably, Inuyasha reacted with venom; "What? No way! That thing's hardly scratched me yet, I don't see how it's in any position to threaten us!"

Kagome vaguely saw, out of the corner of her eye, the white figure of Sesshoumaru moving slightly closer.

"Human, ask it why it wants you," The taiyoukai commanded.

The miko frowned slightly, pushing aside her annoyance at being ordered to do something- even something that made sense, by the arrogant inuyoukai.

"Why do you want me to go to you? What are you going to do to me?" Kagome yelled, trying to still the tremor in her voice. She wasn't even sure why she was so afraid of this thing, really. Sure, it was big, but it hadn't managed to injure either Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru, aside from maybe a couple of bruises.

_-It will be better for you if you don't know, little miko. Your time is running out. Come to me- NOW!-_

Kagome cried out at the volume of the tokage-youkai's voice in her head, clamping her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha hovered over her helplessly for a moment before deciding that the only thing he could do for her was kill the beast. He lightly lifted her into his arms and leapt over two huts in one jump, depositing the miko gently on the ground behind the protective walls. "Stay here, Kagome. I'm gonna kill that thing, okay?"

"Okay," Kagome murmured weakly. Inuyasha shot her a worried look. _What'd that thing do to her?_

The hanyou reluctantly left Kagome's side and returned to the makeshift battleground, drawing tetsusaiga once again.

* * *

_I think I can drive it away, _Kagome slowly pushed herself to her feet, her head starting clear, _If I aim my arrow at one of its' eyes, maybe it will run. Surely its' eyes are sensitive, just like any other monster?_

To her relief, Kagome found her bow clutched tightly in her hands. _Oh, thank god. _With some confusion she began to make her way towards the enormous tokage-youkai purely by following the sounds of fighting. Inuyasha had left her not too far from the battle, but the streets were confusing and maze-like. Frustration bubbled within Kagome's chest. It sounded like Inuyasha was nearby but she couldn't seem to find him. Or the freaking enormous monster, which was something of an unfortunate miracle, really. Finally she rounded another bend and came to a sudden halt in the opening of the village center. Inuyasha was pinned beneath the lizard's chest, tetsusaiga nowhere to be seen, while Sesshoumaru slowly stood from where he had evidently been flung.

Fear and rage flowed in a hot wave over Kagome's body, all the fine hairs dusting her arms and the back of her neck raised, prickling and tingling. Her head roared and her eyes watered with the sheer magnitude of her fury.

"Hey! Get off him!" Kagome screamed, knocking an arrow and drawing it tight.

The monster glanced up from staring at its' prey, amusement glimmering in its' repulsive eyes. Distantly Kagome heard its' voice in her head, but the words were virtually drowned out by her anger. In one smooth movement the miko aimed and released, every ounce of pure energy she could muster pouring out to be contained within the arrow that quickly pierced deep into the tokage-youkai's right eye. The creature howled and thrashed, lifting up just enough in its' struggles so that Sesshoumaru could drag Inuyasha out from under its' body. Kagome watched as her arrow spread poisonous purity through the red eye, blackening it and the tissue surrounding it. The great lizard roared an eardrum-thumping scream and lumbered swiftly away, across buildings and through the streets, disappearing with shocking speed into the mountainous forests surrounding the village.

Kagome's shoulders slumped with exhaustion but she forced herself to run to Inuyasha, dropping to her knees by his side. Sesshoumaru had dumped him unceremoniously by the market stall that had protected his ward and retainer earlier and was now hunting through the dirt with the toe of his boot, looking for something.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Kagome whispered, leaning down to hover over the hanyou's prone form. One golden eye opened, followed by the other and Inuyasha managed an incredulous snort.

"'Course I'm okay, Kagome. No way I'm gonna let some lizard beat me!" He half-grinned, half-winced as the forceful exhale of breath contracted his evidently broken ribs. "Damn."

* * *

"They're leaving!" Sango exclaimed, gratefully lowering hiraikotsu and propping it against her legs. The lizard-youkai were fleeing on all fours, having suddenly abandoned trying to kill the monk and the demon-slayer.

"But why, I wonder?" Miroku mused, leaning heavily on his staff and trying to catch his breath. The monk quickly shook his head, abandoning that train of thought for the moment. "I suppose we should go and tell the people of this village that it's safe to return."

Sango nodded and heaved her now heavy weapon into its' usual place on her back. "I guess. I just hope they're a little more careful coming back than they were when they left." She said wryly, rubbing her side where several injudicious elbows had landed earlier.

Miroku nodded in wholehearted agreement and set off to find the crowd of villagers.

* * *

"Sesshoumaru, what the hell are you doin'?" Inuyasha growled, annoyed at not knowing what his brother was up to. The hanyou was on his feet now, albeit hunched and rather ginger. He would have a lot of bruises by the time tomorrow came. Hell, he had a lot of 'em already!

The taiyoukai ignored his half-brother entirely, not willing to admit to himself that he had actually saved the worthless little half-breed. And now he was helping him again! Well, perhaps his motives weren't quite that clear. Inuyasha had dropped tetsusaiga when the tokage-youkai grabbed him in one enormous clawed foot and started trying to crush him. It was the sword that Sesshoumaru was trying to find. Not for himself - he had long since given up hungering after it – but because he couldn't abide knowing his father's fang was laying, discarded in the dirt somewhere. Finally his boot collided with something and the taiyoukai bent slightly to confirm that it was in fact the tetsusaiga.

"You may want to collect your sword, Inuyasha, before I take it for myself," Sesshoumaru warned him mildly.

Inuyasha froze for a second, his hand flying to the empty sheath at his hip. "Dammnit! Sesshoumaru, don't you dare, you bastard!" The hanyou fairly flew around his brother and scooped up the sword, sliding it hastily back into place. Sesshoumaru merely looked at his brother with amused contempt.

"Rin, we are leaving," The taiyoukai called, knowing his little ward would hear him from the alleyway she was peeking out of.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru!" The little girl cried, skipping joyfully towards her father-figure. Jaken squawked indignantly and hurried to catch up to her, determined to reach his lord first.

Sesshoumaru slid a glance towards Kagome, inclining his head almost imperceptibly towards the miko, before turning and walking away, his strides measured and easy.

"Keh. Bastard," Inuyasha huffed.

* * *

That's all for now! Let me know what you think, if you read this :) And there'll be more soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** See first chapter.

**AN:** This is set four years after the first chapter. Not much has changed, except Naraku has been destroyed, the Shikon no Tama dealt with (don't ask me how, lol) and everyone's a little older. So, I figured to make things easier for everyone (me included) I would put the characters' current ages here.

Inuyasha: Appears 18-ish  
Kagome: 20  
Sango: 21  
Miroku: 23  
Sesshoumaru: Appears 24-ish.  
Rin: 12

Now, I'm not 100% on what all their ages were in the first place but for the purposes of this story, this is how old they are. I realize a quick google would clear things up, but these are the ages I want them to be.

**Purity: Chapter Two**

A cool autumn breeze lifted the girl's silky black hair, the faintest hint of winter chilling her skin. She sat patiently in the meadow, surrounded by tall yellow-green grasses and fiery fallen leaves. Ah-Un grazed nearby, each head taking turns at eating and standing guard over their young charge. Rin sighed heavily and drew her fingers through the dying grass, a chill shivering up her spine. She was due back in the castle very soon- on Lord Sesshoumaru's orders she was not to stay out after sunset. The girl was, however, loathe to return to her confines – her home, really – considering that there was nothing to make her want to stay. Sesshoumaru was away yet again, dealing with some 'very important business' as usual; business Rin was never told anything about. Nor was she allowed to accompany her lord anymore. Ever since her twelfth year began he had made it clear she was not to leave the castle grounds for any reason. And no matter how she asked or how she pleaded, he would never explain to her _why_. Oh, he said it was for her safety, that travelling with him was not a good idea for a young girl. But that excuse came nowhere near to fooling her- after all, she had travelled with her lord since she was only eight years old! Surely now, at twelve, she was more capable than ever?

Rin pushed herself to her feet reluctantly, unconsciously smoothing her kimono. Lately her wardrobe had become increasingly elaborate, something which rather irritated the girl; she longed for the freedom of her old yukata

"Ah! Un! I'm ready to go now!"

At her call the two-headed dragon ambled over to their young human friend, nudging her gently as they sidled up, ready to be mounted. Rin patted their necks affectionately and climbed into the saddle, not bothering to pick up the reins. "Let's go the long way home, okay?" She said, eager to put off her arrival back at castle for as long as possible. The two heads snorted in agreement and Ah-Un set off at a sedate pace, wandering peacefully towards the trail that meandered away from the castle for a mile or so before rejoining the main road to the gates.

Rin frowned as she leaned back on her hands, letting her head fall back so that she could watch as the stars began to emerge in the twilight sky. Lord Sesshoumaru had been away a lot lately and, though the staff at the castle tried to hide their worry – on their lord's orders - the girl had managed to catch some hints as to what was happening. It seemed that there had been several attacks on the outposts which normally guarded the Western borders. Ordinarily nothing and no one would dare challenge the taiyoukai of the west, but these attacks kept happening, no matter how many warriors Sesshoumaru piled into the outposts. And the really strange thing was, the fights were laughable! A small band of mixed, low-level youkai would come storming up to the towers, yelling and shouting, throwing smoke bombs around and generally being a nuisance. The highly trained inuyoukai guards would dispatch them easily and that would be the end of it. Until the next time they came, once again making a huge racket and dying easily. No one had been able to figure out why they were throwing themselves into these ridiculous suicide missions- and not one intruder had been captured alive in order to be interrogated.

A quiet hiss broke Rin out of her thoughts and she sat up, looking around wildly for the source of the noise. A strange man stood in Ah-Un's path, his katana drawn. The girl muffled a squeak and clutched desperately at the reins of her dragon. "What do you want?" She gasped, trying not to panic too much. Lord Sesshoumaru was always calm, no matter the situation.

The man smiled slowly and slid his sword into its sheath. "Nothing bad, I assure you," His voice was even and soothing, his eyes warm. "I simply wish to talk to you."

Rin frowned slightly and her grip on Ah-Un's reins eased a little. "About what?" She asked cautiously.

"About you. You're Rin, are you not?" He asked politely.

Rin nodded curiously. "Yes."

"That would make you Lord Sesshoumaru's ward, yes?"

Rin nodded once again.

The man's smile widened, "Good." He stepped quickly around the side of the dragon and reached up, yanking Rin out of the saddle before she even had time to blink.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Rin yelled, struggling against his iron grip. The man ignored her, tucking her under his arm as though he was carrying nothing more troublesome than a roll of fabric.

"Let me go! Ah! Un! Help me!" Rin cried, kicking and thrashing desperately. The dragon lumbered closer and bared their blunt, herbivorous teeth. The man chuckled quietly, not even bothering to draw his sword against the passive creature. Abruptly Ah snaked his neck out and clamped his short teeth around the intruder's upper arm, locking onto solid muscle and bone. All that grass munching built up some very powerful jaws. The man snarled and tried to yank his arm free of Ah's grasp, but before he could manage it the more timid Un had latched onto him as well, shaking his wedge-shaped head furiously. Rin took this moment to launch an attack of her own; she dug her short fingernails into the soft flesh between the man's thumb and forefinger, making him howl in pain. He shook her violently and wrenched his arm from the maws of the loyal dragon.

"Stop it!" He growled, stepping back and drawing his sword on Ah-Un.

"NO!" Rin screamed, shoving against the man's arm viciously. A burst of brilliant white light broke free from her palms, scorching the stranger's sword arm. He lost his grip on both his weapon and Rin sending both tumbling to the ground. The young girl landed heavily on her side, the impact forcing all the air from her lungs in a loud 'oof'.

Ah-Un swung around now, his tail slamming into the man and sending him flying into a tree. Rin shoved herself quickly to her feet, trying to ignore her spinning head, and glared at the man, her hands outstretched in a defensive gesture, palms still glowing slightly. The intruder's eyes widened as he pressed himself against the tree-trunk, trying to put as much space between himself and the sharp-tingling light as possible. After a moment of stunned silence he turned and ran, disappearing into the forest. Rin sagged with relief and turned to her dragon, an enormous grin on her face. "Yeah! Go Ah-Un! You were so brave!" She cried before flinging her arms around the dragon's great scaly neck, giggling with elation.

"Young Lady Rin, what has been happening here?"

Rin spun around and was confronted with the captain of the castle guard; Hideo.

"Oh, Captain Hideo! There was a man here, he tried to take me away, but Ah-Un and I fought him off! Didn't we, Ah-Un?" Rin gave the dragon heads a pleased pat.

"I see," Hideo said, eyeing the trees and bushes where the stranger had disappeared. "We must hurry back to the castle now, Lady Rin."

The urgency in Hideo's voice spurred Rin into action and she swung quickly up onto Ah-Un's back. Hideo moved to Ah's side and gathered the reins in one hand, firmly marching them forward at a brisk pace.

"Will you have to tell Lord Sesshoumaru, Hideo?" Rin asked quietly. If Sesshoumaru were to know of this little abduction attempt then he would _never_ let Rin leave the castle!

"I'm afraid I will, Rin," Hideo said, lapsing back into his old form of address with his master's ward. Rin slumped a little, sighing heavily.

_Oh well. I better enjoy being outside while I can._

* * *

Kagome leaned a little closer to the fire, exposing her palms to its warmth. _I wish summer would come back,_ she mused pensively. The cold weather had never really suited the miko. _Maybe I have a vitamin D deficiency. That would explain why the sun makes me happy. Maybe. _It was only late afternoon but Inuyasha, in an uncharacteristic fit of generosity, had allowed everyone to stop early and set up camp. The sky was still violet-grey and the stars were only just beginning to gleam through.

"Inuyasha's gone to catch us something to eat," Sango said as she moved to sit beside Kagome on the log they had found and dragged over to the fire.

"Oh! I wonder why?" Kagome frowned slightly. Usually Inuyasha would only hunt for fresh meat if they had run out of ramen and then only grudgingly. He would occasionally mutter something about being used as a hunting dog. Sango shrugged and used a stick to poke at the fire.

"Maybe he's feeling restless? It's been nearly a year now since we finished off Naraku; maybe boredom is starting to set in?" Sango suggested.

Kagome shook her head. That might have been it, but for some reason she didn't think so. This eagerness to leave the group reminded her of the days when Inuyasha would disappear into the forest for hours on end, ostensibly to hunt or gather wood, or just to 'get some space'. In reality, though, he was running off to see Kikyou. _It can't be that. Kikyou's dead, isn't she? _Kagome shivered, silently wishing she'd brought some warmer clothes through the well with her this time. _I guess no one ever found her body or anything, though. What if she's just been laying low? But why?_

"Kagome? Are you okay?" Sango asked, concerned.

Kagome flashed her friend a reassuring smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just cold, that's all."

Sango nodded understandingly. "We'll have to buy something warmer for you next time we pass a village."

Miroku chose that moment to come trudging back into camp, looking tired and disheartened. "No sign of a hotspring, ladies. There is a nice cold creek nearby, though!"

This was met with a chorus of groans from Kagome, Sango and Shippo.

"I know, I know- but there's nothing better around here," Miroku muttered, looking downtrodden.

"But- it's too cold to bathe in a creek, isn't it Kagome?" Shippo asked hopefully. After all, it wasn't _his_ idea to bathe so frequently.

Kagome eyed the little fox kit dubiously. "We'll see how you're smelling tomorrow, 'kay Shippo?"

Shippo huffed a little but nodded his acquiescence.

Miroku came to sit beside Sango, both hands firmly in his lap- for now. "So, where's Inuyasha?"

* * *

"Lord Sesshoumaru – you're back!" Rin cried gleefully, running towards the taiyoukai with unhidden joy written across her face. Sesshoumaru glanced down at his young ward, eyes softening marginally and placed one quelling, yet affectionate, hand on her head.

"Rin- are you well?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically, not wishing to tarnish this brief moment with her Lord Sesshoumaru by complaining about her lack of freedom. That lack of freedom that would no doubt become even more unbearable very soon when he found out about her little adventure with Ah-Un.

Hideo stepped forward at this point, reluctant to interrupt the moment of peace between father and daughter. Unfortunately no time could afford to be wasted.

"My lord, I must speak with you about something," Hideo bowed respectfully, already trying to mentally arrange the words in the most palatable fashion he could. Unfortunately the truth was harsh and could hardly be softened by carefully chosen phrasing.

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly and nodded to Rin, indicating that she should leave them for a moment.

"What is it, Hideo?"

The captain of the castle guard fidgeted minutely, unsure what Sesshoumaru's reaction to this news would be. "It is Rin, my lord. She was out in the meadow yesterday afternoon, as she usually is. On her way back to the castle a strange man accosted her- she was a little late so I went out to bring her home and I arrived just as the man disappeared into the forest. I didn't want to leave her alone to give chase in case there were others around so I sent a contingent of guards out to search for him as soon as I had seen her safely back to the castle. Unfortunately they have found nothing so far," Here Hideo glanced up at his lord's face, gauging how he was taking the news so far. Sesshoumaru was frowning, staring intently at his captain's face, waiting for the rest of the story. Unfortunately, the worst part was yet to come.

"When I arrived, Rin and Ah-Un had already fended the man off. But he only ran away because of Rin. Her hands were _glowing_, my lord," Hideo braced himself for whatever Sesshoumaru would throw at him.

"What do you mean 'glowing'? Hideo, do you mean to tell me that my ward has spiritual powers?" Sesshoumaru asked dangerously, his youki expanding to press heavily against Hideo's skin.

Hideo frowned a little, reining in his own youki's innate response; which was to rise and meet any threat. This was one of the reasons the taiyoukai had appointed him captain of castle guard- it was not in his nature to back down from a fight, or to give up. Unfortunately that propensity for dominance made these situations rather uncomfortable for Hideo.

"That is what I am saying, yes," Hideo averted his eyes from his alpha's, only the great respect he held for the taiyoukai enabling him to set aside his pride enough to show such submission.

Sesshoumaru's intensely powerful aura receded, his iron control reasserting itself. The taiyoukai's eyes shuttered, all emotion or evident thought ruthlessly removed from his expression as he retreated into himself. Hideo knew better than to interrupt his lord's thoughts and bowed respectfully as he turned to leave. Sesshoumaru would not take action this day- he would examine the situation from every angle before deciding on the right course.

Hideo only hoped that it _was_ the right course the Western Lord would decide upon.

* * *

Sesshoumaru soared silently over the vast expanse of his lands, youki gathered at his feet in a glittering cloud. He was reluctant to leave Rin even for the short half-day that he would be gone on this mission, but he did not want her nearby for this. It was obvious that the little girl had no idea what had happened when she fought off the stranger yesterday. She seemed completely unaware of anything out of the ordinary and Sesshoumaru wanted to keep it that way until he had decided on a course of action. In situations like these – although nothing quite like this had ever really happened to the taiyoukai before – the Western Lord sought counsel from the oldest and wisest being he knew of; Bokusenou.

The tree-demon appeared to be sleeping as Sesshoumaru landed gracefully in his forest.

"Bokusenou."

Evergreen leaves rustled and boughs groaned as the old demon grudgingly awoke from his slumber. It was not uncommon for him to spend most of the year sleeping, only to awaken for brief periods in spring, roused by the light, warmth and fertility of the season.

"Only for you, Sesshoumaru, would I awaken from the midst of my slumber. What purpose do you have for disturbing me this autumn?" Bokusenou rumbled, his face slowly appearing on the trunk.

"I have need of some information."

"Oh? What information would that be?" The tree-demon's eyes sharpened marginally.

"Do you know anything of the tokage-youkai tribe?"

"The tokage-youkai tribe? Lizard demons? I know something of them; what do you wish to know?"

"It has come to my attention that they are hunting mikos, abducting them for some unknown purpose. Do you know why they might do this?"

"Before I answer your question, I have one of my own: Why do you concern yourself with the abduction of mikos? Surely they are beneath the notice of a powerful lord such as yourself?"

Sesshoumaru raised one eyebrow in an expression disdain, however he needed the information the stubborn old tree-demon possessed and if informing him of Rin's situation would appease him then the taiyoukai supposed there was no harm in satisfying his curiosity. "My ward, a girl by the name of Rin, has begun to develop spiritual powers. I wish to know if she is at risk."

Bokusenou chuckled deeply, his eyes gaining even deeper wrinkles at their edges. "Perhaps you truly are you father's son, after all!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist, suppressing the longing to draw Tokijin and carve the ancient tree into logs.

"Alright, I will answer your question, Sesshoumaru. The lizard demons have always been a power hungry species, driven to bolster their wealth, lands and personal strength through whatever means necessary. I heard tales, when I was just a sapling, of their devious ways. And of the war that they foolishly waged with the dog demons of the north. You see, your kind have not always held the western realm; originally they were from the northern lands. Now, Inuyoukai have always been a proud and noble species and though they successfully defended their lands from the tokage-youkai, their pride was injured. That the lizards had dared to challenge their right to rule the north, which had always been their home, galled them. Your grandfather, who was leader of the pack at the time, rallied his forces and led the charge against the lizard-youkai. Unfortunately, on the lizards home-ground they were very evenly matched and many lives on both sides were lost. The dog demons eventually expelled the tokage-youkai, driving off the last of them and taking over the West."

"Why, then, do we not still hold the north?"

"Because, there were not enough inuyoukai left to defend both the north and the west. Within ten years of defeating the lizard demons, the remainder of the northern pack were forced out by the tiger tribe. And that, Sesshoumaru, is how your father came to be lord of the western lands."

"Very well, but what does this have to do with the lizards taking mikos?"

Bokusenou gave the tree equivalent of a shrug, two of his boughs rising and falling slightly. "As for the mikos… Well, there was a rumour going around a couple of millennia ago, once again, when I was just a sapling. The rumour was that the lizard youkai had discovered a way to bolster their powers by devouring humans with spiritual abilities. It made them strong and resistant to any form of youkai attack. Mind you, I don't know how successful it turned out to be; the inuyoukai destroyed much of them before the true effects of this so-called 'pure power' could be wholly felt. It is possible, I suppose, that they have rediscovered this 'art'."

"Very well. Thankyou for your insight, Bokusenou." The taiyoukai nodded to his sire's old friend before gathering his power and rising into the sky, homebound. Memories he had previously thought unimportant were beginning to resurface. He had much to think over.

* * *

**AN: **The romance part of this story will probably take a good long while to begin, just so you know. I have difficulties writing pure romance- the plot side of my brain just starts to take over, lol! But it will happen; I promise. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **See first chaper.

**AN: **Ugh, writing this chapter was just... impossible! I'm still not happy with it, but it's a necessary part of the story before we cam get on with the fun stuff.

**Purity: Chapter Three**

Sesshoumaru sped towards his castle, lost in though, even as the seemingly impenetrable cliff-face that served as the eastern wall of his home came into view.

* * *

"_I do not like this, Hideo," Sesshoumaru murmured, his golden eyes narrowing as he watched the influx of youkai flooding the entrance hall of the western castle._

"_Nor I, my lord. However, I fear it is necessary."_

_Sesshoumaru said nothing for a moment. "Keep them away from the catacombs and the lower southern wing."_

"_Yes, my lord."_

_

* * *

_

"_Tetsuya? What are you doing down here?" Hideo frowned, approaching the young youkai._

"_Oh! Captain Hideo. I was just curious about the library you have here. It is quite magnificent!" Tetsuya enthused, standing quickly from where he had knelt._

"_Indeed it is. Do you have the permission of Lord Sesshoumaru to access the catacombs?"_

"_Oh- no, I don't. I didn't realize I needed it. I'm sorry!"_

"_No matter. Just make sure you obtain permission next time." Hideo guided the younger demon up the stone steps and out of the catacombs._

"_Of course, Captain Hideo."_

_

* * *

_

_"Tetsuya, the lizard, was down in the catacombs today, my lord. He did not realize he needed your permission. I have been remiss- I thought all of the envoys were present when I set out the rules they were to follow on their first day."_

"_Was he down there for long, Hideo?"_

"_I'm not sure, my lord. I've spoken to the gatekeeper. He says he has not opened the catacomb entrance for weeks."_

"_Odd. But unlikely to be of any importance. Do you have anything else to report, Hideo?"_

"_Nothing else, my lord."_

_

* * *

_

Tetsuya and the rest of the youkai envoys had moved on after three weeks of making the western stronghold their domain. Sesshoumaru had not given their visit another thought since, preferring to forget the singularly unwelcome experience of having his home invaded by scholars. Perhaps there was more to their appearance than he had originally thought, though.

With careless elegance Sesshoumaru landed on the stone balcony adjacent to his rooms, electing to arrive silently and unobserved. He swept through his main quarters and into the quiet hallway that gave him access to the rest of the upper section of the 'castle', surprising the guard who was snoring softly against the opposite wall.

"My lord!" The youkai scrambled to his feet, panic in his eyes. "I'm sorry- I must have fallen asleep! Captain Hideo sent me up here to await your arrival- he has done as you asked."

Sesshoumaru nodded minutely. "I need to speak with him."

"Yes my lord," The young guard hurried away, evidently relieved to remove himself from the taiyoukai's presence.

Sesshoumaru waited with growing impatience as the minutes ticked by, eager to be away from the castle once again. He avoided his home assiduously, spending as much time as he could roaming his territory, quelling uprisings from the youkai villages that he allowed to inhabit it. And returning every now and then to answer the various challenges his fellow inuyoukai levelled against him. The taiyoukai knew that the frequent threats to his position were partly his own fault; were he absent less he would be able to maintain a tighter control over the packs under his rule. But that would require him to be _here_. And _here_ was as far from being a home to him as the moon.

"My lord," Hideo bowed respectfully as he rounded the corner to Sesshoumaru's chambers.

"Hideo. I need you to arrange for Fumio to inspect the archives; tell him to ensure every item he has catalogued is where it should be. When he has done this, send Jaken to me with his findings."

"Yes, my lord. Is there anything else you need?"

"No."

* * *

"Sit still, girl!" Jaken grumbled, hurrying to keep up with Ah-Un's long strides. Hideo had arranged for Rin to ride out on the dragon a little earlier than usual and for Jaken to accompany her, for safety purposes.

Rin struggled to remain still on Ah-Un's back, her mind racing with anticipation. _This is so exciting! I'm finally allowed to travel with Lord Sesshoumaru again! This is definitely not what I thought would happen when he learned of the man who tried to take me. _

The trio paced through the fields, too impatient – or too annoyed in Jaken's case – to stand still. Even Ah and Un seemed eager to be off again, nervous energy rippling along their flanks.

Fortunately Sesshoumaru did not keep them waiting for long; within minutes of their arrival he landed lightly at the edge of the meadow, nodding silently to Rin before turning and walking away. Rin tried and failed to hide the enormous grin that spread across her face as she urged Ah-Un to follow. _Oh, who cares about being ladylike! This is way too exciting to worry about being 'demure' as Kamiko-sensei likes to say._

"Oh, why does milord not take me?" Jaken groaned, staring after his lord worshipfully. With a final nasty glare at Rin, the little green demon turned and stomped back towards the castle.

_At least I'm doing something important! Not like the girl- always causing trouble. _Even with these disgruntled thoughts, Jaken found some small part of himself pleased for Rin. She was not cut out for life secreted away in a castle, even he could see that.

* * *

"Oh! Lord Monk, we have urgent need of your services!"

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kagome had been passing by a small village, following the trail of a ravenous oni they had picked up earlier in the day. It wasn't hard to follow; it seemed almost rabid, ripping trees practically whole from the ground, leaving a trail of small half-eaten animals in its wake. It appeared to nearly miss this town, only smashing a couple of fences by going through instead of around them. So this plea for assistance was not entirely unexpected. What was, though, were the two pretty young women who were asking. Fortunately Miroku was saved from making a fool of himself by Inuyasha's gruff, "Yeah, we know- we're after the thing already!"

One of the girls straightened from her bow, looking confused. "It? There are more than one, ah… Demon." She appeared uncertain how to address the hanyou, but was evidently too concerned with whatever was going on to scorn him or be afraid.

"More than one? Are you sure?" Miroku stepped forward, thankfully all business at this point.

Both girls nodded, and their unanimous 'Yes' was punctuated by a panicked scream from the town.

Inuyasha shook his head, "I don't think this is the oni we were following."

The girls shook their heads, but Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Kirara were already running past them towards the small town.

Kagome turned to the two girls. "What is attacking your village?"

"Uh- I don't know… I think they might be snake demons, or maybe lizard demons. They look human, except they have these… tongues; it's like they're sniffing the air with them!"

_Lizard demons…?_

_

* * *

_

It was controlled chaos in the town; there was a small group of demons, outfitted with hardy leather armor and worn katanas. They were surrounding what appeared to be the entire population of the village- around one hundred people, cowering, wild-eyed and panicky.

The apparent leader of the youkai hissed furiously. "Do any of you smell them? They must be here!"

His angry query was answered with several sharp hisses and shaking heads.

He bared blunt, human teeth and shook his mane-like hair back in an aggressive gesture. The human nearest to him, an older man, shuffled back nervously.

"You!" The youkai darted forward and yanked the old man up by his thinning hair. "Where are the mikos? What have you done with them?"

The old man shook his head slightly. "There are no mikos here."

"There are! I could smell them before! They are here, somewhere. Now, tell me where they are?"

"Hey, put the old guy down, you bastard!" Inuyasha snarled as he drew tetsusaiga.

The tokage-youkai turned, scowling. "This is none of your business, hanyou."

"Maybe not, but I feel like picking a fight… And you're it!"

The youkai yelled orders to his group- "Forget this bunch of idiot ningens, go and find those mikos! NOW!"

As the four other tokage-youkai darted off in different directions, tasting the air with their forked tongues, their leader tossed his victim aside launched himself at Inuyasha.

Miroku and Sango followed a couple of the lizard demons, both of them beginning to piece together what was happening here; these demons were probably after the two girls who had come running out of the village asking for help.

"Kilala, go back to Kagome!" Sango yelled to the firecat.

* * *

Kagome ushered the girls off the road and into the trees. "You two hide here, okay? I'm going to go help my friends fight the demons, so don't move."

The girls nodded, wide-eyed, one of them clutching Shippou to her chest like a stuffed toy. The kitsune squeaked, wriggling in her grasp. "Can't. Breathe."

The young woman relaxed her grip on the kit. "Oh! I'm sorry little fox-thing! I'm just scared."

Shippou drew a deep, grateful breath and puffed his chest out a little. "I'll protect you- don't you worry!"

The girls giggled, one tickling his ears while the other pinched his cheeks. "So cuute!"

The kit deflated, resigning himself to being petted to death with a last whined, "I'm a fox-_demon_, just so you know!"

* * *

Kagome hurried along the dirt road, an arrow knocked in preparation. _I wonder if this is the same lizard demon tribe as the one that attacked that village four years ago? I really hope there's not another huge one…_

"Hah! Found one!" A lizard youkai stood before Kagome on the road, triumphant glee in his eyes. The miko frowned with confusion but wasted no time drawing back her arrow and firing at the demon. As soon as the arrow struck the monster's armor all the power died out of it and he laughed.

"Oh, that was funny! Really… You just made my armor even stronger, miko!" He grinned menacingly and stalked towards Kagome, katana drawn.

"What? How?" Kagome gasped, backing away with evident fear.

"Eh, one of our many tricks. You're going to be a big help to us, you know?"

_Jeeze… This one's chatty! Hmm. Maybe if I hit _him_ instead of his armor…?_

Kagome snatched another arrow from her quiver and knocked it, taking careful aim at the demon's exposed neck. He chuckled good-naturedly and continued hunting her, drawing nearer.

_Now._

Kagome let go and froze as the arrow buried itself in the youkai's muscled neck. The chatty demon howled and scrabbled with human fingers at his wound, trying to yank out the shaft as deadly purity spread from the hole in his neck, slowly consuming him. At last he fell to the ground, shedding his genial mask and becoming the lizard that hid inside. A dead lizard.

_Wow. He's not huge compared to that one years ago but… that's still a big lizard! _

The body of the youkai was about ten feet from nose to tail-tip, with strong looking jaws and thick, powerful legs. _Long claws, too. These things could really do some damage if they wanted to!_

Kagome backed away from her kill, plucking another arrow free, ready for the next demon. Fortunately the next demon was just Kilala landing by the miko's side with a fierce growl.

"Hey Kilala," Kagome murmured quietly, laying one hand on the firecat's soft, warm neck. "I think we should go back and make sure the girls are okay."

* * *

"Dead!" Miroku called out, watching with satisfaction as the tokage-youkai before him collapsed in a bleeding heap.

"Mine too," Sango yelled, turning away from where her demon lay with its skull caved in by hiarikotsu, a little disturbed by the sight.

The leader was still battling it out with Inuyasha, though he appeared to be tiring. At these cries of triumph from the monk and taijiya, the lizard spun to look for his fallen comrades, almond-shaped eyes widening further at the sight of them.

"Bad move," Inuyasha growled as he lashed out with tetsusaiga, scoring a long gash across his enemy's abdomen.

The tokage-youkai grunted painfully and, rather than return to the fight, he let out a vicious hiss before sprinting out of the village, momentarily followed by his one remaining ally.

Inuyasha sheathed tetsusaiga and followed Miroku and Sango as they hurried back to the road outside the village's heart.

* * *

"Kagome! Are you okay?" Sango called to her friend as she and the two men rounded the corner where they had left their miko companion and the two village girls.

"Yeah, we're fine," Kagome said as she encouraged the girls to come out of their hiding place. They both kept a tight hold on Shippou as they emerged, taking comfort from his cuddliness. Shippou glared.

"So, do you know what those demons wanted?" Kagome asked, hiding a smile at Shippou's discomfort.

"The leader kept saying stuff about finding mikos. It was strange," Inuyasha muttered.

Miroku stepped closer to the village girls with a gentle, enquiring expression. Sango watched him carefully, prepared to smack him should his behaviour take a turn for the inappropriate.

"Ladies, are you aware that you have spiritual powers?" He asked, keeping his hands tucked safely into his sleeves.

"Well, not until today we weren't! When those youkai came into the village this morning yelling about mikos and trying to round everyone up our grandfather told us that we had likely inherited our mother's powers. Then he told us to run and hide which is when we ran into all of you- Is our grandfather okay? He's the village elder, you couldn't miss him!"

At Miroku's pause Inuyasha jumped in. "Yeah, I think he's okay. The leader of the lizard demons was, uh, asking him some questions when we got there but I don't think he was hurt."

"Oh! We must go to him!" The girls set Shippou down and raced off toward their home.

"I don't think those demons were distinguishing between trained mikos and girls with the _potential_ to be trained as mikos. Whatever they wanted them for, it must have more to do with inherent ability than actual skill," Miroku observed as he watched the girls disappear around a corner.

"Keh. Whatever. They're gone now so we can get back to hunting that stupid oni," Inuyasha grunted.

"But Inuyasha- the demons didn't get what they were after. They're probably just going to keep attacking villages until they do!" Kagome approached Inuyasha.

"But there's only two of 'em now. Surely they ain't gonna keep trying."

Kagome shook her head. "I don't think those were the only ones, though! The one I killed had this weird armor that my arrows couldn't pierce through and he said something about me shooting it only giving it more strength. I only managed to kill him because I hit him instead of his armor and even that was a bit of a miracle; he was covered almost head to toe in leather! That kind of thing surely takes planning! And… I just got the feeling that there was more going on," She finished quietly, knowing her argument was hardly solid enough for Inuyasha's tastes.

"I must say I agree with Kagome, Inuyasha," Miroku murmured, watching the hanyou's ears twitch with annoyance.

Sango nodded her agreement as well.

"Fine. What do you wanna do Kagome?" Inuyasha's tone was annoyed, but he evidently thought better than to argue with all three of them.

"I think we should warn Kaede and ask her advice. She's a miko so she needs to know what's going on. Then… I don't know," Kagome shrugged, unhappy with her lack of a plan. But something was telling her that this little episode was not an isolated event. "I think we should tell those two village girls that the lizard demons might come back."

"Alright."

* * *

"Oh, grandpa! These are the people who saved the village!" Hiruka exclaimed, pointing to the group as they approached.

"Hmm. I recognize some of them," Grandpa nodded, eyeing Inuyasha with wary respect.

Inuyasha stood back with his arms folded and watched as Kagome stepped forward to speak with the girls.

"We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves earlier- My name is Kagome and this is Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango- and you know Shippo, already," Kagome grinned at the kistune. Shippou backed away to stand beside Inuyasha, mimicking the hanyou's stance perfectly.

Hiruka waved to the fox kit enthusiastically before telling the group her name. "I'm Hiruka and this is my little sister, Izumi."

Izumi stepped forward cautiously, a faint smile on her lips. "Thankyou for helping us and for saving our home."

"Uh, you're welcome but… we think that the lizard demons may come back again." Kagome hesitated. She didn't know what they could do for these people other than warn them, really. "After all, they didn't get what they came for."

The girls exchanged worried glances and instinctively looked to their grandfather for reassurance. The old man shook his head slowly. "No, they didn't." His gaze wandered back to Inuyasha, a thoughtful frown easing over his worn features.

"Izumi, Hiruka, is there anyone nearby that can teach you how to harness your spiritual powers?" Miroku asked quietly.

The girls shook their heads.

"Perhaps if you travelled with us back to Edo Lady Kaede - the miko who taught Kagome here - could instruct you?" He suggested.

"Oh! And leave our home?" Hiruka exclaimed, wide eyed at the thought.

Her grandfather's frown deepened. "This Kaede- she taught you?" He nodded to Kagome. The miko nodded.

"Maybe…" He sighed softly and let his eyes drift over to Izumi, who stood to the side, watching everything silently. He turned back to the group abruptly. "Would you all care to stay the night here? It would give us a little time to think things over and you could surely do with a roof over your heads- and a hot meal?"

Ignoring Inuyasha's impatient huff, Kagome, Miroku and Sango readily agreed. "That would be great, thankyou!" Kagome smiled.

* * *

Let me know what you think! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**ANs:  
1. **Sorry about that – Hiruka is 17 and Izumi is 15.  
**2. **To Sesshy-fan: It will be about Sesshoumaru, Kagome and Rin eventually. However, I prefer to have everyone involved in the story rather than just the central characters, so there may be some very mild InuKag in the beginning as well as some MirSan sprinkled throughout.  
**3.** This chapter is shorter than the others and contains only a minute amount of Sesshoumaru unfortunately *pouts* It's necessary for the plot to continue, though. And anyone who likes MirSan should get some enjoyment out of this one, as well.

**Purity: Chapter Four**

In the flickering firelight, Kagome studied Hiruka and Izumi in turn, trying to untangle her thoughts. For as long as she could remember talking had helped to resolve the unclear ramblings that sometimes occurred to her- and it was this that prompted her to break the thoughtful silence that pervaded the small hut.

"So, Hiruka, where are your parents?" Kagome inquired politely, aware that this could be an uncomfortable topic for the girls. After all, if their parents were alive, surely they would be here?

Hiruka's face remained open and unguarded, though her eyes fell and she bit her lip as though trying to gather her thoughts. "They died when we were little. Grandpa raised us," Here she sent an affectionate glance in the old man's direction. "We haven't missed out on much; he's been wonderful. Haven't you gramps?"

"Huh? Oh. Just doing my duty, 'sides you two weren't exactly difficult children," Grandpa smiled dotingly at Hiruka

Kagome's heart clenched painfully as thoughts of her own grandfather sprung to mind. She worried about him every now and then - he was getting awfully old and she didn't want to miss out on the time she had left with him. Not that she'd had much choice in the matter over the past few years. _Maybe next time we're in Edo I can head home for a few days. Spend some time with Gramps and Mom and Souta. Not like I have any classes or friends back there to devote any time to. _That was still a bitter note with her; the past had stolen her future. Shaking off her abrupt melancholy, Kagome sent a sympathetic look to Hiruka and Izumi. _Poor girls; losing both their parents._ The miko suppressed the urge to press for more information on their deaths. _Not my business._

Dinner was quiet that night, with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Shippou sat close by Kagome, intensely aware of the heavy atmosphere but not entirely sure why everyone was so silent.

After their meal the girls' grandfather stood and collected everyone's bowls, shuffling off to pile them near the door, ready to be washed in the morning.

"I'm afraid we don't have bedding available for everyone, so some of you will have to sleep on the floor," He apologised.

Inuyasha stood and stretched, yawning while he did so. "I'll sleep outside; I prefer it anyway."

Kagome flashed the hanyou an appreciative smile; it was true he didn't mind sleeping outside, but he generally preferred to be with the group. Inuyasha ignored her smile, though his back did straighten as he walked out, waving a nonchalant hand in goodnight.

Kagome turned back to the old man. "I have a sleeping bag, so Sango and Miroku can take the last tatami." The miko sent her friends a cheeky grin and began to unpack her bag.

Sango glared at Kagome fiercely, apparently trying to incinerate the girl through the raw power of her gaze. The miko shrugged innocently.

Kagome chanced a look at Miroku and – at his deviously thoughtful expression - felt a brief stab of guilt as she imagined of the sheer amount of groping she had just condemned Sango to. It faded quickly though; after all, it was currently her greatest goal in life to get the two to admit their feelings for one another.

"I'm gonna go to sleep now. 'Night guys," With one final smirk over her shoulder Kagome tugged Shipou into her arms and snuggled down in her sleeping bag.

* * *

Sango sighed heavily and moved over a little further on the mat she and Miroku were sharing. The girls' grandpa had given them a suspicious look when Kagome pulled her little stunt, but had evidently been too grateful for their help earlier to inquire about their marital status. As though Kagome's attitude didn't give it away, anyway.

The cold night air hit Sango's exposed arm and leg and she shivered. _No way I'm moving closer to the houshi, though! Damn fur hog! _She silently cursed Kagome's interfering and resigned herself to an uncomfortable night avoiding Miroku's wandering hands. Not that he'd attempted anything yet, but that just made the taijiya more on edge. _He must be waiting until I've become complacent so he can gain better access. _That thought prompted Sango to inch even further away from the monk, until she was lying half on the floor. A deep sigh came from her right and she could feel Miroku moving about. She braced herself to smack him harder than he'd ever been smacked before. Until she felt the furs they were sleeping under being shifted over her shoulders and his arms sliding around her, pulling her bodily back onto the mat before letting go. "I'm not going to do anything to you, Sango. I promise, for tonight, no groping, no rubbing, no fondling of _any_ kind. Good night, Sango." Miroku murmured before rolling away and giving her back her self-imposed space.

Sango lay stunned for a moment before the memory of his arms around her interrupted her non-thoughts. A slow smile spread its way over her face and the taijiya pulled the furs closer around her, letting herself imagine that their weighty warmth was Miroku holding her. She gradually drifted off to sleep with a gentle happiness softening her often battle-hard features.

* * *

Morning came swiftly, the sun peeking around the heavy waterproofed door-curtain and sending long fingers of warm golden light creeping across the floor. Kagome stirred first for once, yawning, stretching and gently extracting herself from Shippou's grasp with the absolute minimum amount of noise possible. As soon as she had freed herself from the confines of her sleeping bag, the miko glanced around until her eyes settled on Sango and Miroku. A delighted grin split her face and she was holding her stomach, trying to repress the laughter that bubbled up as she sneak-sprinted from the hut.

* * *

Sango shifted slightly, trying to move her still-closed eyes out of the lone bar of sunlight that stretched over her face. While doing so she gradually became aware of the delicious warmth that cocooned her small frame. _What?_

Cracking her eyes reluctantly the taijiya came to a startling realization; she was lying half across her perverted monk companion. Somehow in the night one of her legs had thrown itself across his, her head had made its way onto his chest and his arm around her shoulders. Breathing very shallowly, Sango began to inch away from Miroku, retracting her leg while trying to sneak out from under his arm at the same time. She happened to glance at his face in the middle of her attempted escape and noted his enormous grin. Jumping away from him, Sango glared at the now fully awake monk.

"Why did you just lie there? Why not open your eyes so I didn't have to go through that whole embarrassing 'sneaking away' routine?" Sango snapped, eyes narrowed.

Miroku shifted a little and rolled onto his side, propping his head on hand. "What? And make you pull away even quicker? I was busy, anyway." He grinned unrepentantly.

Sango eyed him warily. "Busy doing what?"

"Savouring the moment. It's not every day that I get to wake up beside a beautiful woman, you know."

The taijiya recoiled a little, torn between being flattered and hurt. A_ beautiful woman? Not _me_ in particular. _Sango shook her head, angry with herself. _ I know the houshi's a lecherous womanizer! Why do I let myself feel these stupid, pointless emotions when I know he's never going to change?_

Sango stood abruptly and fled the small hut, relieved when the cool morning air hit her face, helping to cleanse all traces of emotion from her expression. One thought resonated through her head. _Get over it._

_

* * *

_

Miroku frowned and stood quickly, running through that little exchange in his mind, frantically trying to find where he had gone wrong. He quickly gave up and sprinted after her.

"Sango! Sango, wait! I'm sorry," Miroku called, huffing as he slowed and planted himself in the taijiya's path.

Sango's face was hard and emotionless as she looked up at the monk's confused face, but her eyes had softened. _He has no idea why I'm upset. _"It's okay Miroku. You don't need to apologise. It's not that sort of issue."

Miroku became, if possible, even more confused at that. "What do you mean, 'not that sort of issue'? If I can't even apologise for whatever it is, what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing! Miroku, you can't fix this and… It's not even a big deal, so just forget it, okay? I'm fine, you're fine… Everything's fine!" Sango marched past the bewildered monk, a little ashamed for having been so short with him.

Miroku turned and watched Sango leave, utterly nonplussed. _What _was_ that?_

_

* * *

_

Kagome hummed happily as she filled the water skins the group would need for the day, eager to get moving. _I don't care what Inuyasha says, I'm going home for a little while to see grandpa. I mean, it's not like I'm needed at the moment; the jewel is gone and so is Naraku, so he really doesn't have any reason to keep me here. _She carefully packed the newly filled hide bottles into her bag and began to stand when Sango wandered over, looking lost and a bit dishevelled.

"Hey Sango, are you okay?" Kagome asked carefully, letting the wide yellow straps of her bag fall from her hands.

Sango nodded silently, her face taut with unhappiness.

"Jeeze, what did Miroku do? I thought… I mean, everything looked fine when I got up this morning."

The taijiya nodded again, swallowing heavily. "Yeah, everything _was_ fine."

"So? What happened?"

Sango reluctantly let Kagome draw the story out of her in bits and pieces, until the miko stood there, frowning at her.

"I know how you feel, Sango, but… I don't think Miroku meant it like that. He seems like a total flake and a lecher sometimes - or all the time - but you have to remember; he's had several opportunities over the last four years to leave the group or to go sleep with some girl or other but he hasn't, has he? He's stayed with us - stayed with you - even when he had the chance to leave. I think maybe you should look at his actions before letting yourself get worked up over his words. And, hey, he called you beautiful didn't he?" Kagome grinned and began to heave her pack onto her back, grateful when Sango jumped to help.

"I guess…" The taijiya frowned. _Am I really making something out of nothing?_

_

* * *

_

"Is everyone ready to go?" Inuyasha yelled impatiently over the hum of Izumi, Hiruka and Kagome chattering. The three girls went quiet and Kagome nodded to Inuyasha before returning to her conversation. The girls were unmistakably nervous about leaving their home and the miko was trying to distract them from their uncertainty.

Miroku moved to stand with Inuyasha while Sango hovered between the two groups, finally deciding to drop back and listen to Kagome's continuous monologue.

Hiruka and Izumi broke away from Kagome to say their farewells to their grandfather, the older girl coming back with tears glimmering in her eyes. On impulse, the miko pulled them both into a hug before calling Shippou. The young kitsune bounced over willingly, jumping into Kagome's arms.

Kagome bent close to her kit's ear, "Hiruka and Izumi are sad because they're leaving their grandpa behind, do you mind letting them cuddle you for a while, Shippou?"

Shippou nodded seriously, obviously taking this duty to heart. "Okay."

"Thanks, Shippou." The miko gently passed the youngster over to Hiruka who immediately smiled a little through her sniffling and began tickling him.

Izumi turned dry eyes on Kagome and stepped closer to the miko. "Do you know how long it will take to travel to Edo, Kagome?"

"Uh, I'm not too sure-" Kagome began but Sango interrupted quietly.

"About five days."

Izumi nodded, "Ok, thanks." The girl returned to Hiruka's side and petted Shippou pensively.

Kagome fell into step beside Sango, very aware of the taijiya's dark, thoughtful mood.

* * *

"Lord Sesshoumaru? When will Jaken be joining us?" Rin broke the comfortable silence that had persisted for the last hour in their little group. The girl was bored. She loved her Sesshoumaru-sama beyond anything else in the world, but he wasn't exactly the most entertaining person most of the time. Not that Jaken was, either, but at least he could be provoked into conversation. Or berating her at the very least, which would almost be welcome at this point.

Sesshoumaru glanced at his ward wonderingly. He was, honestly, having more than a little difficulty imagining her being capable of purifying an ant, let alone a demon. _A mistake, perhaps? No… Hideo is unlikely to make such an error. Still…_

"I do not know, for sure, Rin. Perhaps in a few days time."

Rin nodded quietly and returned to her previous activity; counting the scales on Ah-Un's neck. _Two hundred and ninety-three…_

_

* * *

_

That's all for now, let me know your thoughts! =D -Savari


End file.
